Melbourne TV identity emerges as new figure in Jimmy and Nadia Bartel’s marriage split
A Melbourne TV identity has emerged as a new figure in the breakdown of the Bartels’ marriage — and a heartbroken Nadia fears there will be more to come. It comes after Jimmy’s glamorous UK-based love interest was revealed last week.
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Jimmy Bartel’s love life is becoming a lot more cluttered with another woman on the scene.
Friends of Jimmy say he had been seeing a Melbourne TV figure.
Word of their relationship comes just a week after it emerged the Brownlow medallist has long been hooking up with UK-based Lauren Mand.
The 35-year-old triple premiership player and his 33-year-old social media influencer wife Nadia separated early last month.
They have two boys, Aston, 3, and 10-month-old Henley.
The high profile Melbourne AFL couple’s split was acrimonious to say the least, with the mother-of-two this week telling the Herald Sun her husband of five years had left her “heartbroken”.
The marriage quickly unravelled after Bartel returned home from a UK trip to Wimbledon last month.
His recent trip was given a flick on the way through by Nadia this week.
“It’s been a very difficult month for me and the boys. Although I’m heartbroken, I don’t want to comment specifically on what’s been reported about Jim’s trip to the UK as I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest,” she said.
Reeling since the split, Nadia has been comforted by her family as she cares for her boys. Her fiercely supportive circle of friends have closed ranks around her as she deals with the fallout from the breakup.
While Nadia is said to be at pains not to have all the dirty laundry aired out for the sake of her two young boys, many of her friends are speaking out.
As is oft the case with a messy split with other parties involved, Nadia’s friends are fuming for their bestie and looking for blood.
Gobsmacked at what they call a horrible betrayal, they have told Page 13 Nadia is bracing herself for even more women to emerge.
Lauren Mand, who relocated to the UK earlier this year, regularly comes back to Australia.
Friends say Nadia has been getting messages that Mand has long been referring to Jimmy as her boyfriend and wanted news of their relationship to hit the headlines.
One friend whispered into Page 13’s ear that she was one of many.
There were a number of texts from different people, and when we say a number, we mean A LOT.
Messy indeed.
Mand, who attended exclusive private school Loreto Mandeville Hall, is well known on the Melbourne scene.
Her social media pages show off leggy selfies at hot spots like The Osbourne and The Emerson, where Jimmy likes to hang out.
Last November, Mand was pictured living it up with friends inside the Tabcorp marquee on Oaks Day.
Nadia, a regular stablemate at the Spring Racing Carnival, did not attend last year following the birth of the former couple’s second child Henley in mid-October.
Jimmy, who has had a long association with Tabcorp, has been keeping a low profile, missing a scheduled work commitment with the betting giant on Thursday.
The three-time Geelong premiership player was donated $50,000 from Tabcorp back in 2016 after he grew his beard for the entire AFL season to raise awareness for Our Watch, a not-for-profit campaign which to prevent violence against women and children.
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Meanwhile, Bartel’s former teammates are said to be shocked, rather than surprised, by the sheer brazenness of the footy star turned radio commentator’s wandering eye.
Plenty felt Jimmy should have pulled his head in after the babies started coming, as dictated by the AFL bro-code.
Nor do they want the spotlight shined on their own off-field performances as the headlines keep rolling.
Jimmy is still listed to play for the Victorian team against the All Stars in next week’s E.J. Whitten Legends Game.
When contacted by Page 13 today Bartel said to “please respect Nadia, the boys, and my privacy.”
Nadia will be centre stage on Wednesday as an “in conversation with” panellist for the exclusive Mercedes-Benz Melbourne luncheon to talk about ‘Women Driving Change’.
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